Farm Style Inspiration

During my travels, I always look for interesting architecture to photograph. I often use the photos for inspiration on projects around the farm. When I saw this little New England Studio last fall…I started snapping pictures…I immediately fell in LOVE with the red and black combination and knew that I would use those colors on the barn renovation.

Can you imagine?????

Get inspired for summer and check out “Janet Hills House Paintings” at Hooked on Houses with the amazingly creative Juila!

As I continue to pour through books for garden inspiration this spring, I stumbled upon the following EXTRAORDINARY passage from one my favorite books. After each line, I couldn’t help but to close my eyes and visualize what I had read.

On the British Garden Party……
Quote from “The Woman’s Book”
Published by Charles Scribner’s Son 1894
Photographs: Mama B
“One is filled with admiration of the pluck that supports British hostesses in their efforts to defy the continually dropping skies of spring and summer.
Their lawns–deep green, of even, fine grass, to which a “wee modest crimson-tipped” daisy is a reproach–are a standing invitation to “come out and walk on me.”

Their groups of glorious great-armed trees, with dense, lustrous foliage, are apparently meant to shelter damsel and swains.
Their rose gardens,

with vines trained on the walls and arched trellises overgrown with masses of bloom and fragrance,
offer enchanting harborage for a tete-a-tete.”

We have big plans for the farm this summer. WE ARE ADDING FENCING. Once upon a time, the property had fencing that helped contain a menagerie of farm animals. When we purchased the farm it was inhabited by 4 llamas, 4 horses, 6 Irish Wolfhounds, a Jack Russell Terrier and a few kitties. After we moved in and didn’t do much with the farm (in the early years), the fencing was no longer in good shape and we took it down.

As we prepare for a few additions (sheep, chickens, and a colonial garden) this spring, we have been researching a few fencing options. My vision is to include a few types of fences to handle our various upcoming needs.

I ADORE this fence. I would love to surround the property with it. Clearly, being painted, I would call it a HIGH MAINTENANCE FENCE. I took this picture over 10 years ago at Longwood Botanical Gardens and have never forgotten it. I love the color and the mesh-wire on the bottom section which would help to keep out the little critters (bunnies, skunk, groundhogs).

The fence below is a CHARMING solution for keeping the fox away from the chickens. I like the pickets with the fishing net thrown over it. We have had some FOX invasions claiming a few of our cluck clucks.

This is one of the most CLEVER examples I have seen to house blueberry bushes. Attached to the horse fence, the PVC offers a roof structure for the netting which will protect the berries from the birds.

I love the idea of outlining the colonial inspired garden with something like this. Isn’t it beautifully natural?

The colonists had protection on their mind with the well designed “fortress” fence. My guess is that this type of fence might help keep the herds of deer (and piles of deer poop) to a minimum. I wouldn’t have any idea who would be able to build something like this today.

I love all of these ideas, however, there is one thing standing in the way. We haven’t started to get pricing for all of these lovely little fencing dreams.

This morning I woke up to beautiful views of “brown and white” after a mild ice storm. Oh, how I love this color combination. It is one of my favorite combinations in a room…especially during Winter. My home doesn’t have the “bones” for a true crisp brown and white room, but I am slowly adding elements that will introduce this “feel”.

It reminded me of rooms that look like these from “Country Home magazine”

Next month, we will be starting a painting project in our home. To be continued…I feel inspired!

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